(MORRISTOWN, NJ) -- Harmonium Choral Society presents Ride the Storm, on Saturday, June 6 @ 7:30pm and Sunday, June 7, 2026 @ 3:00pm at Morristown United Methodist Church. Ride the Storm celebrates America's revolutionary ideals and today's pressing questions of identity, justice, and unity.
The event features powerful new settings of texts by Alexander Hamilton, Abigail Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Paine and Lafayette—brought to life by composers including David Thomson, Melissa Dunphy, Jackson Berkey, Laurel Luke Christensen, Mark Miller and the winning composers of their 29th annual NJ HS Choral Composition Contest.
"From William Billings to Leonard Bernstein and exciting 'fiddle tunes,' this concert has something for everyone," says Artistic Director Dr. Anne Matlack. "We are especially proud of world premiere commissions by composers-in-residence Mark Miller and Laurel Luke Christensen, and the title work by local composer David Thomson. Three of the winning student pieces will be performed and will leave you inspired and amazed."
Harmonium's universal ticket can be used for either the Saturday or Sunday performance. Discounted advance tickets sell for $30 ($25 teachers) through midnight on Friday, June 5. Student tickets are $5 and children 12 and under are free. Tickets are available for purchase online.
Morristown United Methodist Church is located at 50 South Park Place in Morristown, New Jersey. Doors open one-half hour before the concert begins, but concertgoers are advised to leave plenty of time for parking in Morristown, especially on Sunday. The accessible entrance is on the east side of the church building, and no stairs are needed to enter the sanctuary. Morristown parking information may be found here.
Please take note that each concert is professionally taped live for video and audio reproduction; therefore, they do not allow audience recording via cell phones. They do not allow pets (other than service dogs) into their performances. If you want to attend a concert with your service dog, please call them in advance.
The student composition contest continues strong in its 29th year, with Morris County sophomore Theo Tavi Hein's setting of Sara Teasdale's Spring in War-Time winning first place.
Columbia High School senior Gabriel Tarrow is runner-up; he has placed or won since freshman year. Third place goes to Morristown senior Ryan Snyder. Two honorable mentions will also be honored at the concerts: Basking Ridge senior Nate Lawton from Rutgers Preparatory School and freshman Anuj Shah from JFK Memorial High School in Iselin.
NJ High School students and teachers interested in next year's contest can receive complimentary admission by attending an info session one-half hour before each concert. Please contact [email protected] to let us know you are coming.
Harmonium is partnering with RevolutionNJ, which tells a diverse and inclusive story about America's past that invites participation from all New Jerseyans , and with Macculloch Hall Historical Museum - sharing 250 years of everyday American life -- where it happened--through local history, art, music, culture, and a historic garden and home
Directed by Dr. Anne J. Matlack since 1987, Harmonium Choral Society is one of New Jersey's leading choral arts organizations. The 100-voice chorus has been recognized for its musical excellence and innovative programming and has commissioned over 30 works by contemporary composers to keep the choral arts vibrant and alive. In addition, the High School Student Choral Composition Contest has won the prestigious Chorus America Education and Outreach Award. Harmonium also sponsors musicianship workshops and an outreach chorus that performs in schools, retirement facilities, and other venues. The chorus tours internationally, most recently to the Balkans in the summer of 2022, and will tour France this summer.
Harmonium Choral Society is dedicated to ensuring that all their patrons can enjoy the arts equally. If you have accessibility needs, questions, or concerns, please contact them two weeks prior to the performance, and they will assist you in the best manner we have available. They are always looking to make your experience better, and they welcome your input.
Harmonium Choral Society is a participating arts organization that offers free tickets through the Families First Discovery Program.
Funding has been made possible in part by funds from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner of the National Endowment for the Arts.
